Police, Shinde figure high on CM’s ‘must-fix’ list

For the second consecutive day, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took on the Delhi Police for “not being able to prevent crime in the city”.

“Almost 90% of the crimes in the city happen with the knowledge of the police. This is extremely unfortunate and shameful,” said Kejriwal, explaining why he was so adamant on seeking action against Delhi Police officials.

Kejriwal did not seem to find anything wrong with his style of running a government as he believed he could play the twin roles of running the government and being an activist: “If you think we have not been able to make a transition from activism to able administrators, then so be it. A government should be run in the manner we are doing. Politics translates into activism when you see the rights, freedom and security of people are being threatened.”

He said he wasn’t looking at any personal benefit. “We are here to convey that if any woman in the nation is raped, somebody has to take the responsibility; otherwise women can never be safe. It’s not like no one is responsible,” said Kejriwal.

The chief minister threatened to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations if the BJP, Congress, or even a section of the media, misled the people. He accused Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde of not cooperating with the Delhi administration.

Before ending the agitation, Kejriwal had warned: “If by January 26, our demands are not met, we will fill Rajpath with lakhs of people.” “Republic Day is meaningless till the government does not take care of the people in the country,” he added.

Shinde was at the centre of his attack: “Has Shinde become the dictator of Delhi? Has the police commissioner become the dictator of Delhi? I am the chief minister of Delhi; will Shinde now tell me where to sit? I will tell him where to sit.”

The face-off between Delhi Police and the three-week-old Delhi government erupted after Delhi’s Law Minister Somnath Bharti accused some officers of not taking action against an alleged sex-and-drug racket involving some Ugandan nationals.

The issue escalated into a near diplomatic row after a group of Ugandans and Nigerians accused Bharti and AAP volunteers of misbehaviour.